Why are we so dead?

[† Celestial Yuna]

True that may be so, but it still holds it's point.

Maybe contests like we use to hold back in the day on FM/DF might bring something back to the forum as far as posts... you know?

[John]

Hmm. Maybe the whole roleplay thing is getting old, and people are doing new things?! =P

[† Celestial Yuna]

you have a point there, john... maybe it needs a total revamp?

[Koby]

But we aren't even about roleplays anymore.. O.o

[Linoud]

Well the one thing you need to also remember is that there is a problem out there with the economy, so some people are starting to save on their money.. so they are either cutting down or cutting back on costs due to electricity, food, and more so gas. Internet isn't a true need for many at this time.. so keep that in mind at least when it comes to the states if anything, Koby.

I have had some friends stop going online due to their bills are too high on the electricity so they are either cutting back on spending their time with the computer on or they are cutting the net out so they can afford to pay their bills. Some are even thinking about going back on dial up as it's the cheapest right now with this kind of economic spill going on right now or just waiting til they can get on the net elsewhere like a library or a friend/relative's house. =/

Not everyones in the states and suffering economically. I'm in Ireland. It's just a lack of interest really. This place has too many lurkers and not enough active people who just like posting alot.

[*shin.kara~]

well since i've joined i've posted lots already ^^ I also had the day off of work, but i'll post whenever I can cause I like this forum. And when I like a forum, I post lots...as I have with past favorite forums

[Anooxy]

I come sometimes and post sometimes o.o, imo it was better as FM Forums.

[Koby]

I come sometimes and post sometimes o.o, imo it was better as FM Forums.

Theres nothing different besides the name, the skin, and the addition of the anime boards.. O.o

[Slayer]

i remembuh the days when we were numbah won!

*flashback*

Koby: dammit tantrum/Slayer why can't you just get along with everyone!!!

Me: Hey I get along perfectly with everyone it's just everyone has problems with me!

Some random member: He called me a (censored) and a stupid little (censored) and said that my mom was (censored censored)

Me: Oh crap....

*end flashback*

ahhhh. gooood times.

[Anooxy]

Theres nothing different besides the name, the skin, and the addition of the anime boards.. O.o

Gives a different feeling.

[Abizaga]

This site looks too cool to go inactive.

[† Emotional Outlet]

Even if I wanted to stick around and help, I'm leaving next week for seven weeks for basic training (technically six weeks, but there's zero week), and, immediately following that, technical school. I did have some time prior to this, but I spent a month with Mujklob and the computer held no interest for me at the time. Also, I was gone earlier anyway.

You don't need to add things to attract people. One of the fora I visit continues strong and while it does offer mods for a game, one of the most active areas on the board is an off-topic section where people just talk. That's it. It's one section in a fairly large forum, and it's one of the most active parts of the forum. There's nothing really special about it, but the fact that there's a place with a distinctive attitude and atmosphere in which to talk helps keep it going. There are no downloads in that section, nothing you can actually "get" but conversation.

Think of Livejournal (or similar--Blogger, Deadjournal, &c), or perhaps Notemine (formally Boxed Thoughts--basically, you get a 100x100 box to write things in). For the most part, there isn't really much on those sites except giving users the ability to post things. Yes, there are other features, but that's the main attraction--you get your own space to say something in. One of the most important features of those sites is users have the ability to interact with other users.

It doesn't matter how much STUFF there is on the site--if users aren't interacting with each other, you might as well just offer the downloads and 86 the forum itself. You could have all the most interesting things you can afford at a party, but if people don't want to talk to each other, it'd be just as well if you didn't have those things. This, of course, is kind of a circular problem--you need people to start talking to each other, but people are reluctant to talk when they know it's really kind of quiet.

As pointed out by NRO, one of the things that may be off-putting is the number of sections in which to post. People don't really like to scroll. (I scroll plenty, but that's because I write too much.) I think there are too many sections and the forum really does need to be condensed. You don't need to offer sections about cosplaying or cooking or skydiving or underwater basket weaving just to attract people who like those things. You could spend all your time adding section after section, for every game, for every book, every anime/manga, every type of stationery, every type of cat and you still won't see a drastic increase in activity.

Until activity picks up again, you can always condense the anime/manga and video game sections, and maybe move the general boards closer to the top. People seem to be more likely to find a discussion they want to participate in within a general area than a specified area--since I have no interest in anime/manga, and don't play games as often as I used to, I scrolled past all of those sections on the forum to check out the general discussion.

ETA: Anyway, since I have a few days to be around, I can rewrite the rules (I noticed a few errors), vote in various polls, post about kittens, and offer input regarding the potential reorganisation of the forum. And other things, but nothing too intensive because I only have less than a week. =P

ETA2: I just remembered, I would RP again, if there was anyone to play with me and would be okay with not doing battle-oriented RPs, since I don't like orchestrating fights. School/cafe/club type RPs (see: Cafe Histrionica) I'd gladly partake in. Also, if I had any time. Hur.

[† Semishadow]

I haven't been here in... forever. I just have too much other stuff to keep up with.

I'm sort of short on time (meaning... I only read a few replies), so I'm sorry if this has been said, but you could make the downloads a sort of members-only feature where people have to have so many posts to access the forum. I mean, I guess that COULD just make people download less but, to be perfectly honest, it's not like you're really losing anything.

That's really the only idea I have... I'm not sure how other forums get so many members -- I've tried my hand at many forums and none have ever had more than like... two active members. xD So I'm probably not the best person to be giving advice on stuff like this.

You could try adding more downloads while implementing my previous idea. Boards that actually give away layouts and stuff in exchange for posts seem to be a lot more active than simply discussion forums for, well... for obvious reasons.

Sorry I don't really contribute to the post-count on here. It's just, as someone before me said, difficult when there are never any new posts.

[Anooxy]

What made me lose a bit of interest was that most of the friends I had when this was super-active, are gone.

I never left this forum though.

[Yuna]

Yeah alot of the members that i knew left too...its seems so empty now...*tear*

But im still here kicking...

[tebian]

I think your guys site is great and I personally still love to role play. Still stuck in the world of Final Fantasy XI but thats like role playing 24/7 with those guys. I will try help out a little with traffic to the site and made your logo bigger on the Radio station. Hope it helps.

[Koby]

Thank you, I really appreciate the help in advertising.